I provide commentary on political economy, police and prosecutorial abuse, and whatever else might come to mind.
Let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amos 5:24 (ESV)

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Tonya Craft: Looking at the Evidence: The Children's Testimonies

During cross-examination of a defense witness Thursday, Len Gregor asked the woman if she had seen the "evidence," or if she had simply made up her mind without it. It is ironic that Gregor ask that question, for in this series, I will demonstrate that there is NO evidence against Tonya Craft that should convict her of child molestation, provided the court is a place where the Rule of Law is followed.

It is further ironic that Gregor make that statement, because if anyone has ignored the evidence, it has been Gregor and Chris Arnt, who decided early on that they were going to convict Ms. Craft no matter where the evidence led, and they are sticking to that promise. The idea that they have conducted an authentic investigation is a joke, given that we are seeing many of the same patterns that were part of the "investigations" of the fake child molestation hysteria cases of the past, as well as the infamous Duke Lacrosse Case.

My series has some good researchers behind me, and while they are anonymous, nonetheless all are very, very qualified in their line of work, and I trust what they do. Furthermore, we will check our facts before writing on them.

In 1977, when I was a reporter with the former News-Free Press, I covered a preliminary hearing in which Jimmy Don Spangler, who later would be convicted of murder, was accused of molesting a child. The hearing took place in the late Judge Dixie Smith's Juvenile Courtroom, and the young girl, I believe about 7 or 8, testified.

Unlike the robotic and contradictory testimony that we have heard from the child accusers in the Tonya Craft case, the young girl spoke clearly and told the judge what the accused did to her. When it happened, no therapists were needed to ask the girl 16 questions, nor did the "disclosures" start from "nothing happened" to a bunch of wild tales. The testimony she gave to the interviewers after the incident happened -- and there was no doubt that it did -- was the same throughout.

In this post, I want to examine the accusing girls' testimonies in order to counter the prosecution's line that these girls went to their families and "reported" the abuse. Nothing like that happened, and Chris Arnt and Len Gregor know it. For that matter, Brian House knows it too, but the three of them have decided they want Tonya Craft to be convicted and go to prison, and they are determined that even the law itself will not get in their way.

It is important for readers to know that these three girls did not appear out of a vacuum. There is a specific reason they are the ones who are making the accusations, and it has to do with their parents and the sets of perverse incentives that come with custody battles over children.

About two decades ago, courts all over the country were trying people for child molestation charges in which the claims were unbelievable. In the McMartin case in Manhattan Beach, for example, there allegedly were secret tunnels where the children were taken (it turned out there were no tunnels under the building), babies were cooked in microwave ovens, and Raymond Buckey allegedly shot a horse in front of a bunch of children.

The verdicts in these cases all were overturned, and it became obvious to nearly everyone involved that the whole thing had occurred because of two things: mass hysteria among mothers and extremely faulty methods of questioning by "forensic interviewers" and "therapists" that were designed to pry "disclosures" from children no matter what actually happened. It should surprise no one familiar with these horrible cases that the authorities in North Georgia are running over the same cliff.

In the Tonya Craft situation, people might reply: "Yes, those cases had extreme testimony, but none of the three children have said anything like that." That is true, but remember: in the beginning of the Craft investigation and the investigations into these other allegations, all of the children said the same thing at first: NOTHING HAPPENED.

Going back to the hearing I covered 33 years ago, there was no equivocating on behalf of the child, as I remember it well. The little girl did not need a "therapist" to "disclose," nor was she asked the same questions 16 times by someone who would take nothing but "Miss Tonya stuck her fingers here" or "Miss Tonya put her hand down my pants," and so on.

That should tell us something. The vast majority of authentic child molestation cases do not need the kind of manipulation, "I just remembered" testimony, and leading questions to get to the truth. The truth comes forth, as it often does.

With that in mind, let us examine not only to the things to which each child testified, but also how they got to that point. It is a sad story that began with two separate situations that came together. However, it could not have happened without the role of "investigators" who fall into a category of the advocates from Hell, people who decide first that children are sexually abused, and then find a way later to "prove" it.

Child #1 is the daughter of Sandra Lamb, who is at the center of this whole thing, and perhaps is the most person most motivated person in the mix. She is driven by a hatred of Ms. Craft and maybe she even believes Ms. Craft actually molested her daughter. I don't know; I don't have access to that woman's mind, and I think for that I can be thankful.

Like all of the children, this young lady, who also is a child actress, having played a role of an abused child in a movie, and has taken acting lessons. Now, Sandra Lamb testified (under oath, although that means nothing for prosecution witnesses in Brian House's court) that her daughter had taken no acting lessons, but the girl's IMBD resume clearly lists a number of people who have given this child, well, acting lessons.

One has to understand that if a child's mother will lie on the stand under oath (not that the judge nor prosecutors care), it is going to make me suspect of the entire testimony this girl gives, for if Sandra Lamb is trying to hide something that is available quickly on-line, what else is she hiding? Nonetheless, a mother's false testimony does not mean her child is telling whoppers.

I have not seen the child's testimony on video, and that is the situation for the two other girls as well. Nevertheless, I have talked to people who have seen the video, and will depend upon them at least for some interpretation.

As is the case with all three of the children, in the early interviews, she says that no sexual abuse happened. Unlike the child I saw testifying 33 years ago, this child had to be coaxed and, ultimately, given something akin to a script before she "disclosed" anything. Such a situation should set off all alarm bells for anyone who cares about valid testimony.

In reading the notes presented by reporters during this child's testimony, I read the following:

Child in video is asked whether there is anything else that happened to her.
Response: "I'm thinking."
Interviewer in video gets up and leaves. Comes back into shot and asks more questions.
Interviewer asks child how she knew something happened to her.
Girl says, "My momma told me (emphasis mine)."

The last line should make anyone wonder. From what I understand, at no time did this child (nor did the others) give the clear, concise and believable testimony that the child gave in Dixie Smith's courtroom more than three decades ago. Instead, it not only seemed contrives, but it was drawn out for more than a year.

This is important. While it is not unusual for a child at first to say that nothing happened (out of sheer embarrassment), according to the experts, nonetheless it would be quite out of the ordinary for a child's memories to improve as the year went on, which goes against everything that researchers know about the reliability of our memories.

Yet, that is the situation with all three of these girls who testified. Despite the claims of the prosecution that the defense wants to paint these children as liars who are part of some great "conspiracy" to frame Tonya Craft, the real problem is that the "interviewers" have used discredited techniques not to get at the truth, but rather to reach the conclusion that they, Sandra Lamb, Sherry Wilson, Jerry McDonald, the prosecutors, Brian House, and Joal Henke and his wife Sarah, wanted them to reach.

All of these people have had a vested interest in the outcome that the therapists reached. I believe that is important to point out. Most reputable investigators and psychologists take the information that they find and reach conclusions; however, as we have seen in other cases, the interviewers from the prosecutors' team of police and "child advocates" from the Children's Advocacy Centers begin with a conclusion, and then look for "evidence" to buttress their original conclusion.

As with the first child, the other two girls began the process by saying that nothing happened. In the case of the third girl, Tonya Craft's daughter, it especially is tragic. Not only did clinical psychologist Dr. Ann Hazzard (by request of Circuit Court Judge Marie Williams in Hamilton County) examine the child and conclude that she found NO EVIDENCE of sexual abuse (something to which Brian House refused to let her say in court Friday, lest Len Gregor and Chris Arnt be offended that a real expert contradicted the perjured testimony they had introduced earlier), but the child herself when first interviewed said something like: "Mommy did terrible things to me. I don't remember, but that is what my daddy tells me." (emphasis mine)

This should set off alarms everywhere. When a respected psychologist says one thing, but "interviewers" along with the child's father, Joal Henke, and his wife, Sarah Bass Henke, are telling the girl for a year that she WAS abused (and that she needed to tell that to investigators), something is not passing the smell test. I find it quite telling that Judge Brian House decided that Dr. Hazzard's conclusions regarding this child were not credible, but the conclusions of motivated people like the Henkes (who have gained full custody of the girl) have full credibility.

People who have seen the videos of the children tell me that something is wrong with the children's demeanors and the way they are speaking. When a child is describing what should be terribly traumatic events and sits quietly coloring as though she is talking about the weather, we should be suspect of something.

True, the "advocates" always have a tale to tell us. When Crystal Mangum claimed a number of mutually-exclusive accounts of how the Duke lacrosse players raped her, the "advocates" assured us that traumatized women who have been raped are confused and tell a bunch of different stories. Later, her promoters claimed that she never had deviated from her first account, and, somehow, the "advocates" insisted that both situations were equally true and constituted "proof" of the rape claims.

Likewise, we are told that these children were so traumatized, that someone needed to give them a script, "mommy" had to tell them what to say, and that we are supposed to "believe the children" because, after all, children always tell the truth. Never mind that these children, to a person, started with "nothing happened," and within a year, were saying what the adults wanted to hear and telling a much different story, complete with descriptions of events that medically or physically just could not happen (like Tonya Craft placing her entire fist into a little girl's vagina).

The issue with the children's testimonies, no matter what Len Gregor will claim in his closing remarks, is not whether they are lying, but rather who told them what to say in the first place. The record is clear: children are susceptible to interviewers who implant false memories.

For example, while the notion that Ray Buckey shot and killed a horse in the middle of a daycare session was ludicrous, nonetheless the child who claimed such a thing while testifying in court years later continued to insist his tale was true. Was the boy "lying"? No, as a lie goes to intent. Instead, as a young boy, he was manipulated by an interviewer with an agenda, just as the interviewers at the Children's Advocacy Centers in North Georgia are notorious for having agendas.

When Dr. Demosthenes Lorandos in his cross-examination of the interviewers from the CAC asked them if they were familiar with the child molestation hoaxes of two decades ago, to a person, they said they were not. They were not familiar with any literature on interviewing, as it seemed to them to be a distraction from pursuing their agenda that all children (except those of their political allies) are sexually abused, and it is up to them to prove it.

In the end, the issue is not the truthfulness of the children, for they are saying what the adults want them to say. As for the truthfulness of the adults who are pushing this case, that is another story.

[Update: May 2, 7:00 AM]: The commentator named Kerwyn, who actually is a SANE in another state (whose courts tend to have higher justice standards than do courts in North Georgia), makes an important point. Following her second arrest, Ms. Craft had both her children taken from her, and she wanted to have visitation rights. She went to circuit court in Hamilton County and Judge Marie Williams, who apparently took her job as a judge seriously, unlike Brian House.

I include some of Kerwyn's comments below:

I am not sure exactly what happened but, Judge Williams ruled CAC's Laurie Evans was not credible and ordered her to have NO contact with the Craft Children. Dr. Ann Hazzard interviewed these children at that time. THIS testimony was what the prosecutors (Arnt and Gregor) and the judge (House) refused to allow the Jury to hear.

She adds this point:

I guess it has NO bearing on this case that Craft brought this up FIRST against Sarah Henke complete with CAC interviews. That interviewer somehow pissed the judge of to the point of getting a no contact order? Wow... Oh and that doesn't apply to THIS case.

Again, I find it interesting myself that House has restricted ANY expert medical and psychological testimony that contradicts what Arnt and Gregor are presenting. For all of his "I will let the jury decide" which testimony is credible and which is not, House seems to be going out of his way to make sure that the jury does not hear testimony that does not help the people who are running this trial: the prosecutors and the "witnesses" such as Sandra Lamb, Kelly McDonald, and Sherry Wilson.

135 comments:

Anonymous
said...

"Your sins will find you out" This is true. Can you imagine how these children and what these children will become as adults? I shiver to think about it. What a sorry excuse of a parent it takes to have your child lie and be so exposed to get back at someone you once called "friend" by getting them at all costs. Pathetic parents if you ask me.

William you are really great at putting information together as reading this enrages me. Now I know that Tonya Craft is innocent but what bothers me is that there are dozens of others rotting in jail as a result of even more ludicrous and trumped up charges. When this case is over and you have some time to spare, please read up on the "Mineola Swingers Club" case where 6 people including a grandmother, are in jail as a result of allegations that numerous little children were force to dance naked for an audience of 50-100 at a "swingers" club, even though the proprieter of this exclusively adult enterprise not only was never charge but testfied for the defense in open court that no children were ever present only adults were allowed in. Also it might interest you that another witch trial is imminent in Missouri. That is the "Mohler Case" where 6 respected men are charged with hidious acts of molestation, forcing little girls to have sex with a horse, allegely goading said little girls to help in kidnapping and murdering a 300 lb. man, sex slave kept in a crawl space for 2 years, I can go on and on. The evidence being "recovered memories" from 25 years ago. The fact that Tonya was a beloved teacher and quite attractive is generating large sympathy for her not that it is unjustified. These absurd witch hunts need to stop!!

I would like to add this. Dr. Hazzard was invovled withe the Craft children the prior year or so before during either her divorce or thereabouts. Craft made allegations of inappropriate behavior with a child against Sarah Henke. Hamilton County Judge, Marie Williams order evaluations of the children.

I am not terribly sure exactly what happened but, Judge Williams ruled CAC's Laurie Evans was not credible and ordered her to have NO contact with the Craft Children. Dr. Ann Hazzard interviewed these children at that time. THIS testimony was what the moron prosecutors and the idiot of a judge refused to allow the Jury to hear,

I guess it has NO bearing on this case that Craft brought this up FIRST against Sarah Henke complete with CAC interviews. That interviewer somehow pissed the judge of to the point of getting a no contact order? Wow... Oh and ya that doesn't apply to THIS case.. uh huh uh huh. I got some swamp land you might be interested in Judge House.

Could someone please clarify exactly how the Wilson family is involved? I know that the word "sex" was written in chalk by a child at their house and that the Wilsons were angry with Tonya, but from watching the trial all week, it seems evident that child #2 does not have the last name Wilson. I realize the Wilsons are very involved in this, but what is the exact connection? Before attending the trial, I had thought their daughter was an accuser, but her name was only brought up once (that I remember) in the last four days while the other three girls are mentioned multiple times each day.

I'm getting from all of this that what started the whole ball rolling was that Accuser 1 and Accuser 2 were caught together either in bed or near the bed touching each other in what the mother thought to be a sexual manner, with Accuser 1 being the instigator.

Here's where people start to say, "Why would a child lie about sex?" Um, children lie about EVERYTHING. Anyone who has been around children know that even when they have their hand right inside the cookie jar they will lie about not doing it.

The mother, probably a huge homophobe, freaked that her daughter was doing something construed as homoerotic with another girl. She then started demanding answers, shouting, and all. Then, the girls did what every child does when caught, told the parent something they thought the adult wanted to hear. The mother, already pre-disposed to distrust/dislike of the defendant, when her name came out, didn't necessarily think: "Revenge for me" but rather "I knew she was bad!" Of the three parents involved here, the only one I'm seeing actual revenge as a true motivation for is the ex-husband and step-mother. That was the girl who showed absolutely no signs of abuse by Tonya, but was actually subjected to inappropriate behavior by the step-mother (shaving her pubes in front of the girl is unacceptable by any standard).

As for the other two girls, even if there WAS any signs of abuse, whose to say it wasn't from the so-called "boyfriend-girlfriend" game the two girls were playing? However, I'm of the mind that the supposed "suspicious" signs were in fact naturally-occurring phenomena that occur in pre-adolescent girls. A recent article in a world-renoun journal on adolescent medicine dealt with this, concluding that when inspecting girls for signs of sexual abuse the examiner needs to examine the girl in two or more positions. From testimony given by the prosecution's "expert" examiner, she only examined from one position, and that one position is the one that produces more false-positive results for sexual abuse. When she examined, if she didn't examine the girls in both positions, then she didn't do it right, according to the most currently-accepted standards. There's another blog done by some forensic examiner who slams this blog and the defense for impuning the practices used by the examiners in this case. However, in her defense of the people involved, she completely leaves out any standards of examination that are LESS than 20 years old. How many innocent men and women have been sent to jail based on this woman and other's testimony, testimony that is outdated and flawed? People who conduct medical evaluations who are not performing such evaluations properly are just as great a threat to society as the child molesters. Imagine someone giving expert testimony regarding DNA who stopped keeping up-to-date on the science around the time of the OJ trial? Just because you initally trained one way doesn't mean you should never update your knowledge of the practice. Teachers, people employed by the state to deal with children, are required to continue their professional development. Why should not those people who examine children for signs of sexual abuse?

To anon 1:07 Sherry Wilson claims on of the girls told her Tonya molested her. Sherry Wilson was friends with Tonya and a class room mother. Her daughter was in Tonya's class. Tonya did not feel the Wilson girl should proceed to the next grade, which pissed the Wilson's off. She is a known trouble maker. She thinks because she married into money she should get her way. She was a bully in school and had little friends...not heresay first hand knowledge

To Lame I agree almost 100 % except I am of the understanding the 2 Kids involved were #2 and #3 and Mother of #2 was upset about the way Tonya handled the situation. Tonya is educated in how to deal with children so she didn't spank her child she instead talked to her. As for revenge there are reasons not known because the jury is not allowed to hear it. Trust me if you know these people you know the reason. Joal was very motivated to have full custody and the mothers each had a separate reason. They didn't get together in the same room and say let's frame Tonya it evolved through phone calls and mutual hatred.

I think what is needed is to construct a timeline of all the events and alleged events. I haven't seen that a comprehensive timeline has been visually constructed either in the courtroom or online, but it sure would help illustrate the kookiness of all the allegations.

Perhaps we can all gather relevant info from the articles, tweets, etc. and put it together in sequential order here in the comments section.

I agree, a timeline with the relevant accusers needs to be constructed: who did what and when, who said what and when.

I thought it was accuser 1 who was involved in the sex play, but now that I think of it, I think she was the one who supposedly wrote something on the pool deck. See, we need a timeline with people involved to sort this out. Geez, if the jury hasn't had that done, can you imagine how confused they are?

Also, about the whole thing where the DA keeps trying to bring up Tonya's sexual past, especially her involvement with other women; I understand that the next person to take the stand will likely be her current husband. How much you wanna bet the DA asks him if he and Tonya have had a threesome with another woman? I'm thinking that if they ask a BS question like that, instead of directly saying yes or no, he should use the question against the DA. The answer should be something like, "Well, mr DA, sir, I can't say that I have, but your interest has me wondering if you have something against homosexuals. Since we're dealing with a child molestation case here, and you're asking about what consenting adults would do in their own privacy, I'm thinking that you're trying to make all homosexuals out to be pedophiles." I really can't fathom why neither the media nor the defense has taken the prosecutors to task for constantly making that equation.

I'm thinking there has to be a blood relation connection between the 1st accuser's mom and Henke. From accounts, she introduced the two, she was Tonya's best friend, she sided with Henke in the divorce, and was mad at Tonya for how she treated Henke. If the mom was Craft's best friend, shouldn't she have sided with her friend, not her friend's husband, unless they were closely related?

Yes, the girl is Sandra Lamb's daughter. The girl, whose name is lamb, is talked about in old news reports as being a child actress, and her IMDB profile matches what has been discussed.

The second child is not a Wilson, but rather a McDonald. The parents are Kelli and Jerry McDonald.

As for the 5:10 post, on the Henke side, this began as a custody battle for the children of Joal Henke and Tonya Craft. This is not the first time that one of the spouses in a custody fight has alleged that the other spouse molested the children.

The problem, however, is not simply that allegations are made, but rather that there are agencies like the CAC which are ready to aid in making false allegations. When you have poorly-trained and unqualified advocates in positions of real power, then we have a problem, because according to the court system, when someone from the CAC testifies in court that a child "disclosed" sexual abuse, that testimony carries real weight.

Look at what has happened here. House has ruled, essentially, that the CAC testimony carries more weight and is better-qualified than the testimony of Dr. Nancy Fajman and Dr. Ann Hazzard. In the real world, the CAC testimony would not count for much because the methods for obtaining the "disclosures" were suspect at best and most likely to be absolutely worthless.

Yet, in Brian House's courtroom, the world is turned upside down, and his is not the only place where that happens.

@Anon 2:05 A time line is EXACTLY what the persecution team does NOT want to show you as it could never support their claims. They have purposely fought to keep any well defined time line out and rather keep the charges as nebulous as possible. This has helped close down a line of attack by the defense that would likely show that Craft could not have possibly done what she is accused of. The testimony of Dr Hazzard had it been allowed would have helped expose this. By keeping the accusations vague the persecution limits the defense's ability to include exculpatory evidence.

Absolutely great assessment by Bill. I have said this from the beginning. I don't believe there was a structured conspiracy, however, as things started to fall into place for the accusers and their families, there was no stopping it because of their feelings towards the defendant. I think once it got started, then the conspiracy link came into play and they tried to get their stories straight. However, lies to this magnitude cannot be kept straight. I don't think any of them thought that the defendant could rally as much support, which has in turned backfired on them. We all know that Sandra Lamb, by testimony from witnesses, had it in for the defendant. I just don't think she had any idea that it would snowball on her and now it is too late to turn back and for her to be able to save face. The majority of the community, of which I live in with these people, have had enough of the Lamb's and Wilson's and their motives to rule the land.

Here is another connection. Jerry McDonald, Tim Deal, and the Wilson's all attended Shiloh Baptist Church at the same time, years ago. Seems that there is quite a few people who are now politically connected (present time) that also were attending that church at that time.

To anon 1:40 I had heard that about the Wilsons, but I'm still wondering about how they are so involved if the Wilsons' daughter isn't an accuser. Other than her hatred of Tonya, is it just through Sherry Wilson's accusation of another girl (not her daughter) being molested?

To Kathy you are right about child #2 (Kelli McDonald's daughter) & child #3 (Tonya's daughter) being the two children caught in the sex play. I went back and read Kelli McDonald's testimony. She then called Sherry Wilson and warned Mrs. Wilson about letting her daughter play at Tonya's house.

To Lame the girl who wrote "sex" is not an accuser. She is the daughter of Kim and Joseph Walker. The Walkers are supporters of Tonya Craft. The Wilsons tried to drag them into the accusations against Tonya.

This is the problem I have with these poor little girls testimony. I was sexually abused as a child. I was abused for several years off and on by a family member. I will be 40 this year. I don't have a lot of memories from when I was a child. The ones I do have are mainly from all the different incidents of abuse. I can remember the time of day, what was said to me, the physical feel and the emotional feelings. This is 30 years later for me. I still have nightmares every once in awhile. These girls were interviewed with in a year and they can't remember anything without being coached and prodded into it.

I have been hearing about an affair since this thing started. Apparently tonyas current husband cheated on her with Sandra lamb, thus the reason for their separation and when Tonga found out she was threatened by Sandra that if she ever told Greg (Sandras husband) that she would make her life miserable. Is this accurate?

What amazes me the most is ALL of these people, the Henkes, judge, "the man", "face", the investigators, etc all are church going people that claim to be Christians and think God is on their side.

I've got news for you folks. God knows what's going on here. God knows your hearts and your intentions. You might try to fool the jury, but the Almighty can not be fooled.

You all are a bunch of hypocrites that put your careers and personal agendas above your faith. I hope I'm standing behind you at the day of judgment as you wail and gnash your teeth, as you are being dealt with by God Almighty.

House, you might be a god in the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, but you are simply a minion of the god of this world, satan.

Oh, I would like to add. Dropping the charges does NOT mean he can't ever bring the case again.

He could as long as it was within whatever the statute of limitations are.

Also, next on the hit parade. Civil lawsuits. If she is either convicted, acquitted or the charges are dropped, I will bet you dollars to doughnuts that the lambs will be first in line with a multi million dollar civil suit against Ms. Craft. Remember, the burden of proof in a civil trial is WAY less than in a criminal trial.

Kerwyn is right, if it comes to a hung jury or mistrial, the State has the option of retrying Ms. Craft with a new jury and new trial. However, given the circumstances and expenses the potential political fallout most likely will preclude a retrial. As to outright dropping the charges, that probably won't happen either, as the State will have basically admitted they were wrong. It will take a civil lawsuit to ultimately clear the deck of this matter, and it is very like Ms. Craft will have to do that to correct the injustices that have been performed against her. There is no lawyer in the world that is going to take a civil suit in this case on for a contingent fee against Ms. Craft, as the expert witness fees, transcript expenses, depostions, pretrial expenses and so forth will be phenomenal. However, conversely, Ms. Craft will have a stack of lawyers lining up to pursue the parties involved and the officers of Catoosa County for damages. If judicial misconduct or prosecutorial misconduct can be proven, their sovereign immunity is pretty much evaporated.

Prosecutions evidence:testimonies of the children....can be picked apart due to the tactics and behaviors of the interviewers

Pics of the damage done to the children....can be discredited by actual experts in the field

Tonya is a fitness instructor, may have had a sexual liaison with another female years ago, may have watched a porno 10 years ago, etc....all prejudicial, and throw me in jail too, as I was a college girl years ago with some curiosity and am health conscious now. lol

Sad to say, this trial has portrayed North Georgia in the same light the rest of the country already sees the South. Did Tonya have a choice other than fighting? My husband and I faced this dilemma more than a decade ago and contacted an attorney. We were informed that if we chose to fight the charges when they were brought we were looking at the probability of more than 30 charges if not more. And that those who fought usually got extremely long prison terms for each charge for which they were found guilty. Then this attorney went on to say my husband would be found guilty, since the DA's office always made sure they had a guilty plea for child molestation.We were stunned. My husband not only didn't touch the child (my daughter from another marriage) he could not have done the things she said he did at the times they supposedly occurred. But believe a man working 12 hour days at the times this child was home and slept while she was at school? No. That was not good enough. For almost two months we lived in terror while my daughter stayed with my mother-n-law. I had to endure many, many calls from my daughter every day and I could not talk to her about the case because I would not let the cops say I influenced her. Then the tone of those calls changed as my husband's employer gave proof he could not have been at home when he was 35 miles away at work, with testimony of his many co-workers and copies of time cards. The cops started leaning on my daughter and her calls were now how do I get them to believe me? All I ever told her was tell the truth. Nothing more. Then I would hang up but she never knew how many tears I shed for my husband, for her, and for my family now living under the possibility of coming apart from this horrendous accusation. Eventually, my daughter (she was a teen at the time) confessed to the cops that she did this because we told her she could not go to a party. She pled guilty to filing a false report and got probation. That's all. Probation for a year.Flash forward to last fall and she's doing it again. This time, she ripped my family apart with her accusations and coyly says "Not how I remember it." when confronted with proof of what she did and said back then.

[Part 2 since I got a bit wordy] In between these accusations, there were accusations against boys that rejected her, a teacher who failed her on a test she didn't study for, and, at age five, her female babysitter. The sitter went to prison for five years and has to register as a sex offender. Did that event happen? Nope. Nine years after the fact, my daughter confessed it was all made up to get her step-dad, and her older step siblings dad, home from a remote tour in Egypt.The point of this? Those little girls have told lies that garnered them a lot of sympathetic attention. Because of the dynamics involved, they will never face charges and the most their parents can expect will be the equivalent of a slap on a hand compared to the destruction they've wrought on Tonya Craft's life. When faced with difficult problems in their future, will they take the right way out? Probably not. They've already seen how much attention they got during this fiasco. Their first reaction will be to lash out at the nearest person they're mad at and make the same accusation. Can they find a remedy to this through therapy? I'm not discounting it but my experience says otherwise. I tried the therapy route for my daughter. Every single one of those therapists only wanted to focus on the current incident, saying those in the past had nothing to do with what she'd done this time. Yes, I am turned off by therapists even though there are probably good ones out there. And I hope with all my heart that Tonya avoids prison. And that she sues those people for everything they own, their future earnings, and demands as public apology as they made their false accusations. But nothing will give her back the profession she trained so long and hard to do. Nor can she get back her reputation. No amount of money or apologies will ever erase that little niggling thought in people's minds when they hear Tonya Craft. They'll always wonder if she really did it.

It has taken me almost two decades to tell this whole story. The pain it brings up still makes my hands shake. Nothing I can do will ever make up for my child destroying a young woman's life, or my believing my child when a little part of me said it was not true. Sometimes, parents in this situation don't need to react but sit back and take a breath.

Lamb's father's name is Greg Lamb. He is not listed as the owner of Duplicator Supply Co. in Chattanooga, he is listed as a sales executive and possibly VP. The owner's name is French H. Newton. I wonder if this is the same Lamb family whose drunk daughter, Sarah Lamb, 24 killed a couple on a motorcycle in April of 2009.

Everyone needs to boycott this business along with the Wilson Funeral Homes.

Ms. Sprayberry, my heart goes out to you and your family over your story. You are right, once an individual chooses to make false accusations, it becomes a habitual path they take. It becomes a pathological illness where they justify themselves and their misdeeds at the expense of others, to the point where not only they cannot admit they were wrong, they outright refuse to do so, even when confronted with outright proof of their lies. I know MANY people have been put in jail in the LMJC over false accusations, especially over the pettiest of issues that could have been resolved by adults acting like adults instead of little children with no thought for the consequences and damages being caused. Always, the children end up being pawns in these situations.

What Lookout Spy said sounds right on. When this is all said and done, Tonya will be in a much stronger position than Lamb et al. Tonya will have lawyers lining up to be on her team and lots of targets with assets to go after. Tonya has basically nothing to get, so no lawyer is likely to be interested since simply continuing a vendetta doesn't fatten their bank account unless the client has some serious money to sink into the cause. This crowd has money by local standards, but not the dollar figures it would take to go that route.

The back story to how all of this got started is still the missing piece IMHO, and although there are rumors and theories, I don't think we will really know until the civil suits get going. I still find it hard to believe the Lambs, etc were willing to go to this length to settle a grudge. Report her to DFACS, yes. Try to get her fired based on that, yes. Ruin her name in the community and drive her away, yes. Put her on trial to sentence her to prison for the rest of her life knowing that their names would be associated with that and what dirty laundry could come out in a trial should House slip up or not follow his marching orders, no.

Although Tonya has and will have lost immeasurably from all of this, the accusers in the end will likely have lost just as much or more, which serves them right. It's hard to believe they didn't account for that possibility other than they are just that stupid. I'm guessing their Catoosa small town mindset and experience made them think they could just run this show like they would anything else, not realizing that the wilder they made the story the more likely it was to go national. Once it got out of the local community where they could control things, then game over. Tonya made the smart move there with her defense team selection. You see it all the time with people like the Lambs and Wilsons, they just can't fathom that the way things work here is not how they work everywhere else.

I did not have any opinion on the prosecuters at the beginning of this case but having watched their antics and yelling the whole trial I have really come to despise them. They have done everything possible to keep the facts out of the courtroom. I wonder if the jury is paying attention to the disrespectful way they act towards the defense witnesses as well as defense counsel. I would love to be a spectator when they are repremanded or disbarred!!!

This trial and the gulf oil spill are alot alike. The damage done by both are far reaching. BP oil and the citizens of Catoosa are also alike in that both will be held responsible, financially and morally.

In civil cases a court is legally required to have another trial to resolve the case if the original trial is declared a mistrial. This is not true in a criminal case, as the United States Constitution prevents a defendant from being tried twice for the same crime. This is known and referred to as double jeopardy. A hung jury however, does not sount as a mistrial. The defense is going to have to move for a mistrial, no ifs ands or buts about it. If House denies the motion, that issue will be decided much quickly in appellate procedure than an actual appeal of a conviction. A mistrial means Ms. Craft is innocent, acquitted, next step in the game.

I cant wait for her to benefit and PROFIT from the movie and book deals she's going to get out of all this! I bet Lifetime will be all over it for a movie; there will be a BIG book deal and everybody from People magazine to Dateline will be lining up to tell/buy her story! She deserves it- she's so incredibly strong. I don't even know her but I can tell by how high she holds her head (after living a complete nightmare for 2 years now) that she is an incredibly strong and courageous woman! I admire her and have faith that God will see her through.

Not to mention I agree completely with the individual who said she'll have attorney's lined up wanting to help her with civil suits.

KC, That is a terrible thing to have gone through. The problem, unfortunately, is that there is a huge child abuse industry out there, and there are "interviewers" like Suzi Thorne who are willing to commit perjury, and who believe that every child has been abused, and they will prove it.

Modern American prosecutors really don't care about the truth. They want to win, and are willing to go to great lengths do so, even to pulling the stunts that Arnt and Gregor have done the last two weeks.

I think it is also safe to say, the child actress can kiss her acting career goodbye. No one in their right mind would hire her. They would have to deal with the evil stage-mom, and fear any accusations she could/would make, should they piss her off.

Anon 12:34, I'm not an attorney, however my best guess is that the defense will file Motion for Mistrial, and when House denies it, an application for Interlocutory appeal will follow. Grounds for mistrial already exist, from House's failure to recuse himself to the State's introduction of character evidence contrary to O.C.G.A. § 24-9-20(b), which states that “no evidence of general bad character or prior convictions shall be admissible unless and until the defendant shall have first put his character in issue.” The defense has objected multiple times over many of these issues, including filing Motions for Reconsideration. Whether this scenario can be done as described before the jury goes to deliberate, is an area I'd have to research. This stuff is very complex. However, Tonya Craft should not take the stand, or the State can examine her life's history at will, including the allegations made that she has done or performed acts considered to be immoral. Her taking the stand permits prosecutors to bring into evidence the defendant’s reputation and character at trial, if he or she testifies! It is up to the State to prove it's case beyond a reasonable doubt. The whiteboard timeline suggestion is going to be very effective should this trial go to final arguments. Right now, I can tell you money is needed, anyone who can donate even $20 dollars to the cause of justice in this matter should do so. The Truth for Tonya website is where to do this.

I've seen prosecutors, when even faced with DNA evidence to the contary, continue to say that they believe that the defendant was guilty.There have been dozens, if not hundreds, of death row inmates freed because of DNA evidence. Every single prosecutor that put those men there just KNEW that they had the right man. WRONG.

That really says it all. Persecutors are a special breed of ammoral sociopaths that believe only in themselves. There are exceptions, of course, but I have found them to be rare.

People should qualify their statements if they are not 100% sure of what they are saying, as it soon turns into what readers see as fact when repeated and those which know it is not accurate then discount all other comments here.

I see many errors in what has been said through this thread of comments. If one is not sure of what they are writing, make it known by starting with something like "I believe..." so others can be aware of it.

This practice will reduce or eliminate arguments BEWTEEN those commenting here that are here for the same reason - to find the truth.

I'm not trying to 'police' the comments, just hoping they stay civil and accurate as possible!!

kbp.... What are some of the errors you have noticed? If you don't mind pointing them out. This way the air can be cleared. If I have things wrong please let me know. I absolutely don't want the facts to get anymore distorted than they already are.

While I m no expert in law, especially Ga law. I did have a opportunity to serve on the Grand Jury in Hamilton County. What are joke! The Jury Foreman, ran the show, there was immense pressure to indict. 99.9% of everything that came up went to trial. I am sure being so close the same kind of pressure exists in an even smaller Catoosa County. Guilt or innocence is not really the issue here for a couple reasons, although I think she is innocent. I have some inside information about activities of all the families involved and why these charges are being trumped against her, but I am not at liberty so say as it is hearsay. But lets say , I beleive it based on my source of information. The real problem here is the travesty of justice befalling Tonya. It could be you or someone in your family. What ever happened to being innocent until being "proven" guilty. It is the responsibility of the state, to prove beyond a resonible doubt, her guilt. With the testimony I have read, they have not done this! I hope for an acquittal, but I fear a conviction. Can you answer me, Mr. Anderson, Is this an all in or all out deal or is each count weighed seperately? I am not a lawyer and just curious?

I haven't seen any comments on the questioning of Danita Breeden. She is an RN and the school nurse at CES. She also works as cardiac nurse. Gregor on cross asked her if she was proud of her associates degree and if she feels qualified to do her job. I love how he slams her ASN. Yet, his "expert witness" Suzi Thorne has no college degree. And, if I am not mistaken, Susan Anderson has "only" an associates in nursing as well. This, with a 40-hour course to get her SANE certificate, qualifies her as an "expert witness". (Please note, I am in no way bashing associates degrees. I personally do not believe that BSN = better nurse than ASN. I am just pointing out his double standards.)

The only thing I see that you wrote about details of this case which could even be checked for error was the "within a year" on the interviews, and that fits fine with all that was testified to we know of.

I really do not care to work at pointing out and proving inaccuracies that I did notice just to be doing it, as that just starts what I hoped to see avoided here!

If I notice any errors that show a difference to what the jury is seeing and what we think they are, I'll try to politely correct them, with a source linked whenever possible.

I'm not a source at the trial or an attorney, just one following this case very closely, as I have others for many years. I like to see ALL know ALL the facts they possibly can, ALL share ALL they can, and ALL help each other in as civil of a manner as they can to see where we can go with what we do know.

Anon 2:23 I was present during that testimony, and my impression was that Gregor was trying to point out that people with Associates Degrees are quite competent (as Ms. Breeden appeared to be) and therefore his "expert" witnesses could also be considered competent. He also did this with the testimony of Mike Potter. Gregor went down a line of questioning about Mr. Potter's metal-working business and whether Potter believed that he would be better at his job if he read every book and article ever published on the topic. Gregor asked something to the effect of whether Mr. Potter was good at his job because of years of experience and Potter agreed that he was. Gregor said something like, "That's right. You become better at something just through doing it over and over again." Potter was obviously confused about why his job experience had anything to do with the case, but Gregor has used this type of question with several witnesses. As I said, I believe it is to show that lots of people can be considered good at their jobs without higher degrees. He did not have a disparaging tone (that he often employs) when asking these questions, so I don't think he was trying to slam her. He was much more polite with the witnesses that day, I think because the Today Show was in town.

Make no mistake, though, Gregor's behavior in general has disgusted me. His open mocking and mimicking of Dr. Lorandos on Friday was appalling. The fact that House just sits and watches it without a single reprimand galls me. That morning, House chided Dr. Lorandos for raising his voice, but I have yet to see him reprimand Gregor who raises his voice every day, is frequently sarcastic and belittling to both the defense witnesses and counsel, and grandstands at some point each day. Friday, it was with the slamming of a court order onto the podium when Dr. Lorandos was standing at it.

I have heard a rumor here locally that the prosecutors have pissed off the defense team that they are now working probono (I know I spelled that wrong). If I was the defense I would be doing the same, but that doesn't mean they are. Has anybody else heard this?

Denise, if the prosecution somehow knows the defense is working pro bono, that admission would have to have been made publicly by the defense team, which is unlikely. If it were even true, the prosecution would only know that by somehow conducting some type of wiretapping or other illegal surveillance. Pro Bono representation is encouraged by all codes of ethical conduct for attorneys, as being an ethical duty of attorneys to represent poor and indigent clients in the cause of justice. Again, Truth for Tonya.com needs donations to help with her defense.

The way I am understanding it is that, yes, in the beginning Tonya was paying for her defense. But, since the trial has started and "the Man" and "Facebook" has started with their antics and insults, the defense has stopped charging Tonya and doing the rest for free. I probably am mistaken, but I figured I would ask on here and get the facts. There is so much rumor and hearsay I am almost afraid to believe anything anymore.

On a different note, what was the website that tells what the responsibilities and rights of a juror is? I have jury duty tomorrow and would really like to know.

Denise, be careful how you answer questions during Jury selection. The main thing is to be willing to say you have no opinions regarding any questions of law and that you are willing to keep an open mind during trial. If you get asked a difficult question, don't be afraid to say " I don't know, but I am willing to be openmided and perform my service as a juror to the best of my ability". Don't volunteer any unnecessary information in answering a question , just say "yes" or "no", and stick to the basics. I'm sure you'll be fine.

Bill and Lookout Mountain spy. Yes, we went through an awful time. And amazingly, it was right here in LMJD. That my husband never faced prosecution despite my daughter's recantation still amazes me, but one cop on LaFayette PD knows him from a long time back and knows my hubby wouldn't ever do anything like that. We were very, very lucky. However, there is fallout. Neither of us trusts anyone we haven't known a long time very much anymore. We tend to stay at home and not socialize with anyone but close family. At times, it feels like we are serving a prison sentence. I can guarantee that Tonya will feel the same. You never know when someone will bring up the subject and salivate for all the dirty details that never came out during the investigation and trial.As for those interviewers at CAC, all of them that participated in that trial need to be permanently barred from ever talking to children again. The damage they have done is almost irreparable. Too bad they'll continue destroying lives until a state or federal investigation stops them. I have a feeling we will be hearing soon about Tonya's case ending and I keep praying it is a good end. But one thing keeps bothering me. Can Judge House reverse the verdict if the jury declares her not guilty, based on his opinion of the evidence? Can he force Tonya into prison despite the findings of twelve impartial people?

We all have our opinions and comments. I have not been to the House of Horrors, so I am interested in the jury. I am scared they are not seeing this like we want them to. I read blogs on Tonya, and believe in her innocence, even though she is a stranger. How are they acting, what are they "hearing"??? It all boils down to them. Any comments on this from someone that has been going?? This will be a tough week, please pray for strenght for Tonya, and that the jurors will see enough to set her FREE.

KC, I understand completely. The CAC is not an agency in which people try to get to the truth. Instead, they see their job as trying to accuse as many people as possible of child molestation or worse, and they really don't care if they are correct.

Keep in mind that under the Mondale Act, the more prosecutions of child abuse and sexual abuse, the more money comes to a judicial district. In the end, it is about the money.

I wish that someone in the local media would do a thorough investigation of the CAC, but given that the agency is a sacred cow, I guess that is too much to ask.

I have spent 3 days at the trial. I think for the most part the jury is being attentive. I even noticed one juror display a "What the...??" expression when Judge House refused to allow Dr. Hazzard's complete report be submitted into evidence. The jurors do seem weary, though, and who can blame them. They have had to sit through days of ridiculous, irrelevant testimony about Tonya Craft wearing a bathing suit top to mow, being a fitness instructor, etc, etc. I can only pray that they see this trial for the farce it is and are aware that Tonya is not getting a fair trial. I can't even imagine how anyone could vote to convict and honestly feel that she was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Even without having access to all the evidence in her favor, there just isn't enough there to convict. But there always is the possibility that someone made up their mind from the beginning that "If the children said it, it must be so." I pray to God that they have the wisdom to see the truth. It seems clear that Tonya isn't afraid of the truth. The prosecutors, on the other hand, are bending over backwards to make sure the jury doesn't get the whole picture. Shameful, just shameful.

Anon 5:36. Melydia Clewell might just decide it's this town changed from reporting to investigating. After all, she was the target of a very nasty question that had nothing to do with the case at all, and she is known to be rather feisty when aroused. I do believe Gregor and Arnt might have bit off more than they can chew by insulting her. One thing I do know, they did not get their wish so far as she is concerned. She's still there and she's still reporting more factually than her former employer's reporters.

WGOW did have one great host and investigative reporter, but management didn't want to pay him what they had earlier promised and they used an internal squabble to get rid of him. The word on the street is that he was hated by local politicians for investigating to much and it was getting in their good life. I would have loved to have heard his take on this case. He, like Mr. Anderson would tell it like it is.His name, Robert T. Nash

KC Judge House CANNOT override the verdict of the jury and find her guilty, however, I believe if he were an honest judge the opposite would be true, he COULD find her innocent if he felt the jury's guilty verdict was erroneous. The jury has no say whatsoever on sentencing in the event of a guilty verdict, but they have to rule on each of 22 counts individually as to her guilt or innocence on each individual charge. I haven't seen a copy of the actual indictment, but what I have heard is that the charges are exceptionally vague as to dates and times. I honestly don't know how 12 jurors with half a brain are going to rule unanimously on 22 vague charges based on the circus show as seen and portrayed in Judge House's "Chamber of Horrors". But I did hear say the comment made that the jurors look like they came from a trailer park. I hope it wasn't the trailer park in Chickamauga that had those convictions on child rape last year, I believe. Oh wait, that was in Walker County. Never mind. This whole thing is such a farce, I believe that if they acquit the jurors will become local heroes.

I know, some of the charges are spanning from 2002? Eight years ago? Aren't these kids 8 now? I guess that is where the lesbian thing comes in because some of these kids were probably still in the womb. Tonya would have had to fool around with the moms. It's crazy!!

I have attended the trial off and on for the last few weeks. I was also in the initial Jury Pool, and laughed with my family about the fact that I felt I was maybe one of ten women under the age of 50 in the courtroom.

Most of the Jury is a bit older, baby boomers and up mostly. I recall maybe 1 or 2 middle aged people. I have noticed their boredom, most of all. This scares me. I'm so afraid that they are just ready to be done with it all. I can't say that I blame them, I just hope that behind closed doors their real "personalities" come through and not the grandparently backwardness that is showing inside the courtroom...

I do want to thank all of you (or at least MOST of you) for your comments. They are heartfelt and are very helpful to me, as I learn more and more about this whole sorry case.

This is like the Duke case in that the more I find out, the more I realize just how much a farce these charges really are. I appreciate what you have said, and I really appreciate your reading my posts and making comments.

When I started writing on this, I figured that a few people at most would read my stuff, and I was not prepared for what has happened. Your comments not only are helpful, but they tell me that there are a lot of people out there with strong moral compasses, people who have been through a lot, and who care when someone else is being done wrong.

Thank you so much for helping make this endeavor a success. What I want most of all is for Tonya Craft to be acquitted, and for her and David to get their lives back again. Nothing else really matters to me but that.

i definitely agree with mr. anderson in that all i want is for tonya and husband to get their life back BUT i would also like to see all those involved with trying to destroy her life get what they deserve or at least what i think they deserve. i know that God is the only one who has a right to judge but it would be fun to see Him send His wrath towards them. MT

William Anderson...or can I call you Bill?? I have a question for you. If I go in the courtroom as an observer, and I see something I disagree with that the prosecution &/or the judge does (which has been the case every time I have been inside there for the last two weeks)and I stand up and let's say I 'shout' out my opinion of what I believe OR disagree with?? I might say, "What kind of court are you running here!?"...or "She's innocent, and everyone knows it!"...or "Why won't you let the defense show their evidence? What are you afraid of?!"

Here's my question...can they just throw me out of the courtroom...or will I be arrested? Because I'm seriously thinking about it.

@Victoria - you are right. And one reason I believe why the defense is making such on a white board at trial.

It's been difficult to gather a precise timeline from the tweets, online and summary reports available to those of us following on the Internet. Primarily because they typically lack exact dates.

It is crystal clear though, that the most damaging allegations of abuse occurred after months of time had passed from when any hint of abuse was first reported. And virtually all initial "interviews" with the children (where a clear chain of evidence exists) showed no abuse.

Anon 9:13Spiritually, you are correct, however, the Georgia Bar has the authority to judge these sorry ass attorneys right here on earth and I hope they will all be disbarred and run out of town on a rail. The financial costs to the citizens of CC are going to substantial and the lawsuits could very well bankrupt the county. They deserve it for all the innocent people they have put in jail.

I can so relate! It is so hard to sit there and not just scream at the injustice. Can't say that it would go over very well considering that one of the geriatric baliffs was convinced I was making hand gestures and walked over to where I was sitting, narrowed her eyes at me, and informed me that if I didn't stop immediately that I would have to leave. Her last comment was a Cruella De'ville-esque "I'm watching you!" EEK! Trust me, they take their jobs very seriously!

Well my goodness, it looks like they kept a diary of the atrocities. (We KNOW the children didn't.) So can someone tell me how they could justify allowing their children to spend years with Tonya as they were documenting all of this?? I would consider that aiding and abetting... cause it's obvious they were taking notes...Gosh these people think we're all stupid! Guess they spent too much time scheming on their cell phones. The radiation fried their brains!!

anon 924yes i totally agree but i want more than just disbarment, i want bankrupt, loss of friends, no respect and utterly humiliated and whatever else you want to throw in there...how bout some prison time... MT

Anon 9:33How long do you think they'd last in jail with dozens of inmates that they'd framed and/or forced to plead to things they didn't do?We can fantasize can't we?I'd love to see "the man" and "facebook" have a up close and personal relationship with Bubba in Reidsville.

Lookout Spy is right. In most jurisdictions, you could go to jail for contempt of court plus be assessed a large fine. I know, I know, the kangaroo kourt that Judicial Pimp House operates deserves contempt but if you do what you have outlined in your post your actions will give him cause to have you arrested, jailed and fined. All 3 of those actions could be ordered by the Dishonorable House. In a courtroom where you can be removed or reprimanded for wearing a shirt w/a logo on it or open toed sandals, you could easily spend 30 days in jail plus pay a LOT more than his famous bumper sticker fine. I’m not a lawyer but what I have written is based on observing trials in a neighboring jurisdiction.

Do what you feel led to do but, based on what I have seen in courts with genuine judges and in cases a lot less adversarial, the penalty for that conduct can be severe.

Instead of getting your ass thrown in jail by this ego maniac, file a formal complaint. The form has been made available in earlier posts and Lookout has even given some of the info needed to fill it out.

Yes if they had suspicians going back that far, they shouldn't have had their kids around Tonya all the time, but they did. Tonya was a teacher. She was around hundreds of kids. Multiply that by all those years they are bringing up and you probably have well over a thousand kids associated with her. And the ONLY kids ever in question have parents associated with her ex..? Doesn't add up.

Lookout Spy, thanks for easing one fear from my mind. I could just see Judge House overturning the verdict. As it is, I'll have to watch for when the jury comes back, so I can watch his face if they say not guilty. That'll be priceless.

Catoosa Mom, I'm one of those baby boomers you mentioned. And, while I probably would have never made it onto that jury, I definitely would have never voted guilty based on what I've seen in the live reports and tweets. But my chances of getting on a jury, as I learned a few years back, are close to nil. Seems since I took some law enforcement classes way back in the seventies, they don't want me.Bill, you've given all of us an outlet for what used to be impotent rage around here. And I know of a lot of people in Walker County who think the whole thing is a farce, too. But they're keeping their heads down. It takes a lot of nerve and a certain amount of I-don't-care-what-you-think attitude to speak out about injustices. Yeah, I've done it in the past and a couple of people have warned me to shut up. But I can't when I see a wrong.

@Anon 9:29PM - There was no documentation, that is one of the problems most have with this case. A common trait in such cases like the McMartin trial is the long list of "atrocities" that have no basis in fact, time or credible evidence.

Tonya's case has all (repeat) all of the hallmarks of a now textbook case of "recovered memory" child abuse. The fact that none (repeat again) none of the CAC financed "interviewers" had ever even heard of the McMartin case is evidence in itself. Though not the flavor of the prosecution wants.

How the "evidence" presented at this trial has been considered credible is beyond me - and I think beyond most people outside the 19 year old system that has not served the better interests of Catoosa county.

and if you're seriously thinking the 10 days in jail and $500 are worth to get a point across, then i say go for the gold. don't waste it on a shout out in court!!

i would love to paint the town in Truth for Tonya bumper stickers... and start chanting through a megaphone that Tonya is innocent!! so loud, that the jurors will hear every word! i think we should rally and walk the streets the morning after the defense rests... we need to wrap ourselves around the building, hand in hand, to ensure that every juror will see and hear the Truth on their way into the building!!

Dan, you are exactly right. They were not documenting specific abuse. They were, however, documenting dates ...In the most general way possible. Point being, if they had any REASON to be doing ANY documentation (even taking mental notes), then why were they allowing their children to be with Tonya? And if they had ANY suspicians of abuse going back THAT FAR, why did they not mention it to ANY professionals sooner?? I wouldn't doubt if one of the children hasn't had an experience that is "out of line" with somebody. She seems to be too sexually aware. But somebody OTHER than a woman who has been with multitudes of children over the years...many of whoms parents are standing RIGHT BY HER SIDE through this insanity!! I would say that this child's parents don't WANT to look too closely at their immediate surroundings or how THEY have influenced their own child.

KC, you are correct on your assessment of Melydia. She is feisty & they have opened up a can of worms. You are also correct about her former associate at channel 9. He will not buck this system as this is where he grew up & is also really good friends with Poston.

On a side note, Melydia & I are neighbors, but do not have any kind of relationship. I did find it interesting that we had a strong detective presence in our neighborhood Saturday & Sunday. I have been very vocal on my distaste for this farce of a trial & have challenged several people involved with it. By the time I put everything together, I couldn't make it outside fast enough to get the tag # & a good look at the guy. If you knew where my view was coming from & why it would take me a couple of minutes, you would understand. Nevertheless, at least she, if not myself too, are being watched. Hopefully during this time period, there weren't any real crimes happening, as I would dare to say, they would not have been followed up.

I believe there will still only be 3 to 4 that will be able to do so without losing their jobs. Melydia, Callie, Kevin West & Dennis Norwood will hopefully be able to do their jobs & tell the world, if not at least our locals, truly what they feel has happened here.

For Anonymous at 9:41. Be careful or the next thing you know there will be a SWAT team breaking down your door to serve a search warrant for evidence. If the forces of darkness can reach into Atlanta to twist the law and toss a psychologist’s office for a file that was available for the asking, a local abuse of warrant service would be a snap.

I am curious as to what agency sent the detective(s) to snoop. There is a fine line between crime patrol and stifling dissent, not that it seems to matter in this case. I don’t think many of us are going to be stifled by jackbooted thugs hiding behind badges. The last I heard the Constitution was still in effect except in parts of Catoosa County.

The car was a SD issued car. I do not believe it was sent by the SD so to speak. I believe she & I have pissed off someone in particular. We live in a very crime free neighborhood (although, the ADT salesman tried to tell us differently the other day). We all watch each others' homes & property & communicate. I honestly started getting a little worried once I realized what was going on, but at the same time, if they pull any stunts right now, it will be for all the world to see. I would not be surprised, once everything dies down, to have something happen. I will not live in fear though. All I can ask is that Dr. Lorandos sticks around. :-)

Just start being more wary observant and keep a camera handy even when you are out and about. You need to get a tag number and a picture and then confront the agency head and ask questions. If they are trying to lean on you (or others) because of your support for Mrs. Craft, the last thing they want is questions backed up by photographic proof. That would be a story even Channel 9 could not ignore.

I strongly advise Dr. Anderson to be especially vigilant (keep a camera handy, witnesses if possible) when/if he returns to visit his local family. I will gladly ride shotgun, literally or figuratively, as the forces of darkness will want to get even with him if they think they can get away with it. He has my undying gratitude for his actions in this case.

Remember, “Even if you are paranoid, they can still be out to get you.”

You are exactly right!! If not for certain circumstances, I would have quickly been at the front to take pics and get everything. Anyone who has been very vocal on this needs to pay attention. We have been more watchful just going to fetch & tote our child. Hopefully this week it will die down, but believe me, my eyes are wide open now. Also, I know this particular person reads Dr. Anderson's blog, so maybe he/she will realize I am watching right back.

Not surprised at all by the Lamb/Wilson association in this Farce. At the time when the allegations surfaced 2 yrs ago, everyone in the Chickamauga loop had already figured out the 2 main mothers where Sandra & Sherri. Y? Where you see one, you always see the other & they're both notoriously jealous, problem causers in town. (just some fyi info from Chicktown)

Kellie, Your FYI info from Chicktown was right. It's kinda funny though this week is teacher appreciation week at the school. Usually the Lambs and the Wilsons are trying to show out by how much they can spend on teacher gifts. I am use to seeing Sherri Wilson at least twice a week inside the school. She's been missing in action lately. On another note I had a thought since it is teacher appreciation week I challenge everyone who has had a teacher touch to touch their life to donate money to Tonya's defense. I know times are hard for all of us. I can only give $25 dollars but you know no matter what you give it will add up.

Sandra Lamb's parents' are French and Francis Newton owners of Duplicator Supply Company. Greg Lambs is Sandra's husband. He is an avid fisherman who is known to cheat. They are good friends with Stephen Keith (catoosa county detective). Keith's daughter plays sports with the Lamb's daughter and is in school with her. Keith was named early on as the detective that was called as a personal friend for advice.

KC Sprayberry, you should write a book and publish it. It would not only make a very engaging book, but possibly a movie as well. I'm sorry for all the pain you were caused but glad things did not go worse.

In regards to Tonya Craft, I am so happy on the outcome with all of her charges being dropped. I help represent falsely accused victims quite often, and I can relate to the pain she has gone through. I just hope now she can rebuild the relationship with her daughter.

I used to work on a ambulance with Sherry Wilson. She is a redneck. She is spiteful and would try to get you back if things did not go her way.She and her husband both got fired from the ambulance company and then started their own.She is hateful and without her husbands money would be nothing

This is a nation wide problem. Our government is corrupt. Child Protective Services is a business and they need cases to stay in business. Out judicial system is also a business, it needs cases to stay in business as is our prison systems and all the other industries that profit from child molestation cases innocent or guilty. The vast majority of person charged with these crimes will be convicted, but I believe that most are innocent and wrongly convicted. This corruption has been going on since the McMartin Preschool cases. The Sex Offender Registries are full of inncoent men, women and children. Accusing a innocent person of a sex crime against a child is the most effective and permanent way to ruin their life forever. When a person falsely accuses a innocent person, they are given immunity from prosecution. IF it can be proved that they did it intentionally the charge for making a false police report is minimal to what a charge of child molestation is to a person. Our government will NEVER change. All of us must get the word out to the people that this can happen to anyone of us at anytime. Tell everyone you know about the corruption by our government, and eventually it may help.

About Me

I teach economics at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland. We are located on the Allegheny Plateau, and we have cool summers and tough winters.
I am the single father of five children, four of them adopted from overseas and I have two grandchildren. My family and I are members of Faith Presbyterian Church (PCA).